Oceansize: Frames

    I do not usually lean towards harder rock bands, unless they are a unique blend of progressive, contain interesting melodic structure and are not just trying to impress with double bass peddles and such. Oceansize, however, has actually met with my approval (I sound like a snob!) because they have a British sensibility about them when it comes to making music. I mean, honestly, British rock bands in general tend to be more melodic and less straightforward than American bands, especially with progressive hard rock. OK, The Mars Volta and perhaps The Flaming Lips (on a heavy rock day) are excellent exceptions, but take Muse, for example, as further backing. I also listened a bit to Amplifier, Oceansize's so-called "brother-in-arm's" band--also from Manchester--because they have shared members at times, and they are definitely more melodic and experimental too. Silly, admittedly unfounded and biased, generalizations aside, I think the reason I could potentially find time amidst my iTunes full of music to listen to Oceansize is because they evolve well; their combination of progressive and post-rock, being an important ingredient I think, is well constructed.
    And yes, they do evolve, with a majority of their songs coming in at over 7-8 minutes, it takes real effort to sit in one place an entire album. What I like, is that while some songs evolve slowly, like post-rock, others hit you hard with a good dose of progressive and almost hardcore sensibility, to alter the mood a bit. Just within Frames (2007) alone, I have been transported by moments akin to Sigur Rós, Dredg, Muse, Pinback and Rage Against the Machine (especially with the way the singer sounds when he screams). I did have a hard time picking one album out of their four LPs and half-dozen EPs, but when it came down to it, I started listening to Frames first and did not want to spend too much time previewing all of them through. I also picked this LP because you will be able to go to their MySpace here and listen to the entire album. But, what I did catch on to, is that the first Effloresce (2003) is much more post-rock, space rock; their sophomore Everyone Into Position (2005) is more plain hard rock fading to progressive post-rock as the album continues; while their latest release, Self-Preserved While the Bodies Float Up (2010) is much more hardcore. Frames seems to be the balance between these styles. They have also been labeled new prog, which is a relatively undefined style, more as defined by the bands that are included in new prog, see here.
    Just before Frames was released, I believe, they changed a previous titling of the album, The Frame, because someone accidentally called it "frames" and they liked it better. Mike Vennart, vocals, talked about the new title, saying it "evokes strength and structure, and kind of a sense of time as well--every second is like a frame of your life that’s ticking away and then it’s gone. You can try and remember to try and look at it. But you’ll probably only remember it as a snapshot, you won’t remember the whole movement of the thing.” Frames was released on the Superball label. It received many positive reviews, and is described by the band as such: "After the changes that happened after Everyone Into Position--new bass player and new manager--that [Frames] album seemed like a great achievement, kind of a new beginning." I think what they are referring to with Everyone Into Position, is that the album was not conjoined well stylistically and they tried too hard to cater to the what they thought people would want to hear. Or, they are just a typical band that does not like their previous efforts and is always their own worst critic, but in this case I think I agree.
    Maybe this will be a stretch for those of you that prefer lighter pop or folk, but perhaps you might find the song I first heard by Oceansize on WITR, 98.7 "The Pulse of Music", a bit refreshingly hard, with really good softer interludes inserted throughout; or you might even find something on my blog that actually is more analogous to your taste. Who knows, but check out the MixPod.